MUMBAI: James Bond fans in the UK, who are going to see the latest venture Skyfall at theatres are being forced to sit through as long as 30 minutes of advertisements before the screening of the film.
The 23rd Bond film, which released in the UK on 26 October, is being used as a medium to promote a number of brands with a number of commercials and previews being shown long before the opening credits, it has been reported.
Five of the advertisements feature the secret agent, including ones for Heineken, Omega watches and a Bond aftershave.
And even before the opening theme, the spy, played by Daniel Craig, appears in an action sequence with the camera lingering on his Omega watch.
This has prompted many fans to complain on Twitter.
"Product placement aplenty and Adele hasn‘t even sung yet," said one.
Another wrote, "Wow, sickening number of Bond product placement ads. Am sick of 007 and Skyfall hasn‘t even started yet!"
Many grew even unhappier once the film began. They were irked by seeing Bond enjoying Heineken instead of his trademark Martini and by the frequent use of Sony products. Heineken had a product placement deal for Craig‘s previous two Bond films Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace but this is the first time he is seen drinking the beer.
Though it has not been confirmed how much the Skyfall deal is worth, but before agreeing to it the producers had reportedly already raised 29 million pounds from product placement deals almost a third of the film‘s budget.